In A Little Gipsy Tea Room

March madness rolls along! I'm willing to bet that most people have never heard of Bob Howard, which is a shame. He was fairly prolific in the 1930s and put out some very nice sides. From the first, it is obvious how much these recordings were influenced by Fats Waller and Louis Armstrong. As the liner notes suggest, when Victor began publishing Waller, Decca rushed to sign Howard in an attempt to cash in on Waller's popularity. Despite the similarity of style, Howard was talented in his own right and these recordings deserve to be heard on their own merit. Among those who performed on these sessions (January, 1932 - July 1935) are Benny Carter, Buster Bailey, Teddy Wilson, Cozy Cole, Rex Stewart, and Billy Taylor. Not bad company to keep! I've got three more Bob Howards to share in future posts (courtesy of another collector). Enjoy! +

Tracks

01. You Rascal, You
02. All Of Me
03. It's Unbelievable
04. Whisper Sweet
05. Throwin' Stones At The Sun
06. You Fit Into The Picture
07. You're The Top (contd.)
08. The Ghost Of Dinah
09. Pardon My Love
10. Stay Out Of Love
11. I'll Never Change
12. On The Night Of June The Third
13. Breakin' The Ice
14. Corrine Corrina
15. Ev'ry Day
16. A Porter's Love Song To A Chambermaid
17. I Can't Dance
18. If The Moon Turns Green
19. Lulu's Back In Town
20. In A Little Gipsy Tea Room
21. I Never Saw A Better Night

In The Barrel

Now a return to another favorite ... "Wingy Manone was an excellent Dixieland trumpeter whose jivey vocals were popular and somewhat reminiscent of his contemporary, Louis Prima. He had lost his right arm in a streetcar accident when he was ten, but Manone (who Joe Venuti once gave one cuff link for a Christmas present) never appeared to be handicapped in public (effectively using an artificial arm). He played trumpet in riverboats starting when he was 17, was with the Crescent City Jazzers (which later became the Arcadian Serenaders) in Alabama, and made his recording debut with the group in the mid-'20s. He worked in many territory bands throughout the era before recording as a leader in 1927 in New Orleans. By the following year, Manone was in Chicago and soon relocated to New York, touring with theater companies. His "Tar Paper Stomp" in 1930 used a riff that later became the basis for "In the Mood." In 1934, Manone began recording on a regular basis and after he had a hit with "The Isle of Capri" in 1935, he became a very popular attraction. Among his sidemen on his 1935-1941 recordings were Matty Matlock, Eddie Miller, Bud Freeman, Jack Teagarden, Joe Marsala, George Brunies, Brad Gowans, and Chu Berry. In 1940, Manone appeared in the Bing Crosby movie Rhythm on the River, he soon wrote his humorous memoirs Trumpet on the Wing (1948), and he would later appear on many of Crosby's radio shows. Wingy Manone lived in Las Vegas from 1954 up until his death and he stayed active until near the end, although he only recorded one full album (for Storyville in 1966) after 1960.

Wingy Manone's popular series of Dixieland-flavored combo records continued in 1939-40. This CD, the sixth in Classics' complete reissuance of Manone's recordings of the era, is most notable for having tenor saxophonist Chu Berry as a key sideman on three of the four sessions. Also heard in the supporting cast on some of the dates are clarinetist Buster Bailey, drummer Cozy Cole and guitarist Danny Barker, although the final four selections are done mostly with obscure players. Manone has his typical jivey vocals on 15 of the 22 selections including "Corrine Corrini," "Beale Street Blues," "The Saints," "My Honey's Lovin' Arms," "When My Sugar Walks Down the Street" and "The Mosquito Song." Not too surprisingly, it is the seven instrumentals that are of greatest interest, particularly "Jumpy Nerves" (which uses Manone's riff which would soon become the basis for "In the Mood"), "Royal Garden Blues," "Blue Lou" and "She's Crying for Me." In general, this was a strong period for Manone's recordings and there are plenty of fine solos from Wingy, Chu and Bailey (Allmusic.com)." Enjoy! +

Tracks

01. Downright Disgusted blues
02. Corrine Corrini
03. I'm A Real Kinda Papa
04. Jumpy Nerves
05. Casey Jones
06. Boogie Woogie
07. Royal Garden Blues
08. Beale Street Blues
09. In The Barrel
10. Farewell Blues
11. Fare Thee, My Babe, Fare-Thee-Well
12. Limehouse Blues
13. Blue Lou
14. Sudan
15. How Long Blues
16. When The Saints Go Marching In
17. My Honey's Lovin' Arms
18. When My Sugar Walks Down The Street
19. She's Crying For Me
20. South With The Boarder
21. The Mosquito Song
22. Put On Your Old Grey bonnet

Finger Buster

More great music from, this one covers the very few recordings that Willie "The Lion" Smith made with his own band. Along with Fats Waller and James P. Johnson, he was one of the great stride piano artists of the early jazz era. From Allmusic.com, "his mother was an organist and pianist, and Smith started playing piano when he was six. He earned a living playing piano as a teenager, gained his nickname "the Lion" for his heroism in World War I, and after his discharge he became one of the star attractions at Harlem's nightly rent parties. Although he toured with Mamie Smith (and played piano on her pioneering 1920 blues record "Crazy Blues"), Smith mostly freelanced throughout his life. He was an influence on the young Duke Ellington (who would later write "Portrait of the Lion") and most younger New York-based pianists of the 1920s and '30s. Although he was a braggart and (with his cigar and trademark derby hat) appeared to be a rough character, Smith was actually more colorful than menacing and a very sophisticated pianist with a light touch. His recordings with his Cubs (starting in 1935) and particularly his 1939 piano solos for Commodore (highlighted by "Echoes of Spring") cemented his place in history. Because he remained very active into the early '70s (writing his memoirs Music on My Mind in 1965), for quite a few decades Willie "the Lion" Smith was considered a living link to the glory days of early jazz." Enjoy. +

Tracks

The Gulf Coast Seven
01. Santa Claus Blues
02. Keep Your Temper



03. Rock Jenny Rock
04. It's Right Here For You



05. Finger Buster06. There's Gonna Be The Devil To Pay
07. Streamline Gal
08. What Can I Do With A Foolish Little Girl Like You?
09. Harlem Joys
10. Echo Of Spring
11. Breeze (Blow My Baby Back To Me)
12. Swing Brother Swing
13. Sittin' At The Table (Opposite You)
14. The Swampland Is Calling Me
15. More Than That
16. I'm All Out Of Breath
17. I Can See You All Over The Place
18. Get Acquainted With Yourself
19. Knock Wood
20. Peace Brother Peace
21. The Old Stomping-Ground
22. Blues Why Don't You Let Me Alone
23. I've Got To Think It Over

Personnel: Tracks 1-2, November 5, 1925, The Gulf Coast Seven. June Clark (c), Jimmy Harrison (tb), Buster Bailey (cl, ss, as), Prince Robinson (ts), Willie "The Lion" Smith (p), Buddy Christian (bj) Bill Benford (bb), "Jazz" Carson (d).
Tracks 3-4, May 23, 1937, The Georgia Strutters. Perry Bradford (v, dir), Jabbo Smith (c), Jimmy Harrison (tb), Herschel Brassfield (cl), Edgar Sampson (as, vn), Willie "The Lion" Smith (p), Gus Horsley (bj), Harry Hull (bb,d).
Track 5, May 14, 1934. Willie "The Lion" Smith (p). Rejected.
Tracks 6-9, April 23, 1935, Willie "The Lion" Smith and His Cubs. Ed Allen (c), Cecil Scott (cl), Willie "The Lion" Smith (p), Willie Williams (wb).
Tracks 10-13, May 22, 1935, Willie "The Lion" Smith and His Cubs. Same.
Tracks 14-17, April 13, 1937, Willie "The Lion" Smith and His Cubs. Dave Nelson (t), Buster Bailey (cl), Robert Carroll (ts), Willie "The Lion" Smith (p), Jimmy McLin (g), Ellsworth Reynolds (sb), Eric Henry (d).
Tracks 18-21, July 14, 1937, Willie "The Lion" Smith and His Cubs. Frank Newton (t), Buster Bailey (cl), Pete Brown (as), Willie "The Lion" Smith (p), Jimmy McLin (g), John Kirby (sb), O'Neil Spencer (d,v).
Tracks 22-23, September 15, 1937, Willie "The Lion" Smith and His Cubs. Same.

Here Comes The Man With The Jive

So much to share, so little time. Today's offering follows up on a question about a side that I used in my Prohibition set (I also have some Jazz Archive cds with a handful of Stuff Smith sides). Smith was one of the top violinists of the era, and the band that he led at the Onyx Club was one of the best swing units around. This Classics set includes the first 24 sides recorded under Smith's leadership, including most of his pre-war sides. All of his Onyx Club Boys material is included, except for four songs from 1940 (they're on CC1054, 1939-1944). Musicians include Jonah Jones, Cozy Cole, and Buster Bailey. As Allmusic.com says, "Smith's hard-swinging violin, his enthusiastic vocals, and his interplay with Jones made this a particularly hot unit." The sides here are pretty clean, and one listen confirms the above opinion. This band really could swing, and they're a lot of fun. Along with Wingy Manone, this is an energetic band that I wish I could have enjoyed in person. Enjoy. +

Tracks

01. I'se A Muggin'
02. I'se A Muggin' (alternate take)
03. I Hope Gabriel Likes My Music
04. I'm Putting All My Eggs In One Basket
05. I Don't Want To Make History
06. Tain't No Use
07. After You've Gone
08. You'se A Viper
09. Robins And Roses
10. I've Got A Heavy Date
11. It Ain't Right
12. Old Joe's Hittin' The Jug
13. Serenade For A Wealthy Widow
14. Knock, Knock, Who's There
15. Bye Bye Baby
16. Here Comes The Man With The Jive
17. Twilight In Turkey
18. Where Is The Sun
19. Upstairs
20. Onyx Club Spree
21. Sam The Vegetable Man
22. My Thoughts
23. My Blue Heaven
24. When Pa Was Courtin' Ma

Rehearsin' For A Nervous Breakdown

Here's one that I haven't listened to in a while, which upon listening to it this week, I believe deserves more attention. It turns out that I had scanned the images at some point, so they're included in the file. I'm far from an expert, so here's what Wiki has to say: Kirby was born in Winchester, Virginia. In 1926, he moved to Baltimore, Maryland, a town he is still linked to by some. He played with Chick Webb and Fletcher Henderson. In the early 1930s, he performed some amazingly complicated tuba work on a number of Henderson's recordings. In an unusual move, Kirby picked up on the double-bass at the time when tuba was falling out a favor as the orchestra's primary bass instrument (few tuba players continued their role in the orchestra by switching to double-bass).

Kirby started his own band in 1937. The John Kirby Sextet, known as "The Onyx Club Boys" (usually including Kirby on bass, Charlie Shavers on trumpet, Buster Bailey on clarinet, Russell Procope on alto saxophone, Billy Kyle on piano and O'Neill Spencer on drums) would become one of the more significant "small groups" in a Big band era and had the first recording of Shavers' song "Undecided". Vocals were often performed by Maxine Sullivan, who also became Kirby's wife.

Kirby tended toward a lighter, classically-influenced style of jazz, which has both strong defenders and ardent critics. He was very prolific and popular from 1938-1941. After World War II his career declined and he died in Hollywood, California, just before a planned comeback. In 1993 he was inducted into the Big Band and Jazz Hall of Fame.

Unlike other then-popular "novelty" jazz groups (like Raymond Scott), the Kirby Sextet is not particularly well remembered today, although in New York, the Wayne Roberts Sextet (formerly the 'Onyx Club Sextet') pays tribute, and in France it is commemorated by the band 'Kirby Memory', with vocals by Flora Sicot. His small group light jazz style is a great example of how swing can also be elegant. Enjoy. +

Tracks

1. Rehearsin' For A Nervous Breakdown
2. From A Flat To C
3. Pastel Blue
4. Undecided
5. By The Waters Of Minnetonka
6. It Feels So Good
7. Effervescent Blues
8. The Turf
9. Dawn On The Desert
10. Anitra's Dance
11. Sweet Georgia Brown
12. Drink To Me Only With Thine Eyes
13. Minute Waltz
14. Front And Center
15. Royal Garden Blues
16. Opus 5
17. Fantasy Impromptu
18. Blue Skies
19. Rose Room (In Sunny Roseland)
20. I May Be Wrong (But I Think You're Wonderful)
21. Little Brown Jug
22. Nocturne

Whatcha Gonna Do When There Ain't No Swing?

Whatcha Gonna Do When There Ain't No Swing? I don't want to think about it. This and Midnight Blue are two of my favorite Henry "Red" Allen tracks. Not much for me to say but enjoy some great music. This is a re-post because apparently the final track was corrupted.

Update: Apparently one track was still messed up, so for those who downloaded already it is below. I've also posted a new link of the entire cd here. Enjoy. +



Tracks

1. Midnight Blue
2. Lost In My Dreams
3. Sitting On The Moon
4. Whatcha Gonna Do When There Ain't No Swing?
5. Did You Mean It?
6. In The Chapel In The Moonlight
7. Here's Love In Your Eye
8. When My Dream Boat Comes Home
9. I Adore You
10. He Ain't Got Rhythm
11. This Year's Kisses
12. Let's Put Our Heads Together
13. After Last Night With You
14. Goodnight, My Lucky Day
15. There's A Kitchen Up In Heaven
16. I Was Born To Swing
17. Sticks and Stones
18. Meet Me In The Moonlight
19. Don't You Care What Anyone Says?
20. A Love Song Of Long Ago

King Porter Stomp

Not being very knowledgeable on jazz, sometimes I took a chance in the hopes that a Chick Bullock vocal just might not be listed on the back. This series is usually pretty good at highlighting some vocalists and key musicians on both the front and back covers but sometimes they didn't have room for everyone, so what the heck right? Well, no soap on this one. However it became the first of a half dozen or so Fletcher Henderson cds that I picked up because the music is just that fantastic. Enjoy another "[This] item has been discontinued by the manufacturer" selection.

From All Music Guide: With its high musicianship and many talented soloists (including trumpeters Rex Stewart and Bobby Stark, trombonist Jimmy Harrison, Coleman Hawkins on tenor and altoist Benny Carter), the Fletcher Henderson Orchestra should have prospered during this period, but unaccountably its leader (never a strong businessman) seemed to be losing interest in the band's fortunes and made several bad decisions. The result is that by 1931 Henderson's orchestra was struggling while Duke Ellington's was becoming a household name. This Classics CD, in covering over three years, demonstrates how few recordings this band made (only four songs apiece in both 1929 and 1930), although the quality largely makes up for the quantity. The original band version of "King Porter Stomp" and an explosive "Oh Baby" are the highpoints of this satisfying collection. - Scott Yanow, All Music Guide Session info scan included. Enjoy. +

Tracks 

1. Dear, on a Night Like This
2. There's a Rickety Rackety Shack (By a Rickety Rockety Road)
3. Sorry
4. King Porter Stomp
5. D-Natural Blues
6. Oh Baby
7. Feelin' Good
8. I'm Feelin' Devilish (Oh by Golly Oh)
9. Hop Off
10. Old Black Joe's Blues
11. Come on Baby
12. Easy Money
13. Freeze and Melt
14. Raisin' the Roof
15. Blazin'
16. The Wang Wang Blues
17. Chinatown, My Chinatown
18. Somebody Loves Me
19. Keep a Song in Your Soul
20. What Good Am I Without You?
21. I've Found What I Wanted in You
22. My Gal Sal
23. My Pretty Girl

Man With A Horn Goes Beserk

If you listen to much old jazz, you've probably heard Buster Bailey but don't know much about him. I picked up this collection on a lark merely because of the date range and it remains one of my favorites. Except for four titles from 1959 and an obscure 1958 LP, everything Bailey recorded as a band leader is here. The first two cuts are scratchy, but hey - when you're dealing with 78s you take what you can find, and thankfully some dedicated engineers and fans work so hard to keep the music alive for the rest of us. This collection includes a virtual who's who of talent: Benny Carter, Fletcher Henderson, Charlie Shavers, Frankie Newton, Henry "Red" Allen, J.C. Higginbotham, John Kirby, Zutty Singleton and more. Enjoy. +

Tracks

1. Papa De-Da-Da
2. Squeeze Me
3. Call of the Delta
4. Shanghai Shuffle
5. The Bed Song
6. So You Won't Sing
7. Afternoon in Africa
8. Dizzy Debutante
9. Planter's Punch
10. Slow Jam Fizz
11. Chained to a Dream
12. Light Up
13. Man With a Horn Goes Berserk
14. Should I?
15. The Blue Room
16. April in Paris
17. Am I Blue
18. Seems Like a Month of Sundays (Since I Saw You Saturday Night)
19. The Fable of the Rose
20. Pinetop's Boogie Woogie
21. Eccentric Rag

Don't You Make Me High

Another one out of print and getting harder to find, this contains all of Blue Lu Barker's pre-war recordings. Blue Lu was born, raised and buried in New Orleans and her funeral even turned into a popular video broadcast spotlighting the town's jazz funeral traditions. Some of the great jazz players are here - Chu Berry, Buster Bailey, Henry "Red" Allen, and Blu Lu's husband Danny Barker, among others. Billie Holiday cited her as her biggest influence. Enjoy. +



Tracks

1. Your Going To Leave The Old Home Jim
2. New Orleans Blues
3. He Caught That B & O
4. Don't You Make Me High
5. I Got Ways Like The Devil
6. That Made Him Mad
7. Scat Skunk
8. Nix On Those Lush Heads
9. Georgia Grind
10. You Ain't Had No Blues
11. Marked Woman
12. Midnight Blues
13. Down In The Dumps
14. Blue Deep Sea Blues
15. Never Brag About Your Man
16. He's So Good
17. I Don't Dig You Jack
18. Handy Andy
19. Jitterbug Blues
20. You Been Holding Out Too Long
21. Lu's Blues